Martin Luther and the Enduring Word of God The Wittenberg School and Its Scripture-Centered Proclamation ROBERT KOLB K Robert Kolb, Martin Luther and the Enduring Word of God Baker Academic, a division of Baker Publishing Group, © 2016. Used by permission. (Unpublished manuscript—copyright protected Baker Publishing Group) © 2016 by Robert Kolb Published by Baker Academic a division of Baker Publishing Group PO Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516–6287 www.bakeracademic.com Printed in the United States of America All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Kolb, Robert, 1941– author. Title: Martin Luther and the enduring Word of God : the Wittenberg School and its Scripture- centered proclamation / Robert Kolb. Description: Grand Rapids, MI : Baker Academic, 2016. | Includes bibliographical references and index. Identifiers: LCCN 2016027556 | ISBN 9780801048630 (cloth) Subjects: LCSH: Luther, Martin, 1483–1546. | Word of God (Christian theology)—History of doctrines—16th century. | Bible—Study and teaching—Germany—Wittenberg (Saxony- Anhalt) | Bible—Criticism, interpretation, etc.—Germany—Wittenberg (Saxony-Anhalt) | Hermeneutics—Religious aspects—Lutheran Church. | Universität Wittenberg—History— 16th century. | Lutheran Church—Doctrines. | Reformation—Germany—Wittenberg (Saxony-Anhalt) Classification: LCC BR333.5.W65 K65 2016 | DDC 220.601—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016027556 Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. I am grateful for permission to reproduce sections of previously published materials (listed below) in the following chapters: Chapter 3: “Nowhere More Present and Active Than in the Holy Letters: Luther’s Understanding of God’s Presence in Scripture.” Lutheran Theological Journal 49 (2015): 4–17. Chapter 11: “Did Luther’s Students Hide the Hidden God? Deus Absconditus among Luther’s First Followers.” In Churrasco: A Theological Feast in Honor of Vítor Westhelle, edited by Mary Philip, John Arthur Nunes, and Charles M. Collier, 1–16. Eugene, OR: Pickwick, 2013; and “The ‘Three Kingdoms’ of Simon Musaeus: A Wittenberg Student Processes Luther’s Terminology.” In Collabo- ration, Conflict, and Continuity in the Reformation: Essays in Honour of James M. Estes on His Eightieth Birthday, edited by Konrad Eisenbichler, 297–321. Toronto: Centre for Reformation and Renaissance Studies, 2014. Chapters 11, 13, and 14: “Bibelauslegung in der Via Wittenbergensis: Die Volkshermeneutik von Johann Mathesius als Vertreter von Luthers Homiletik.” Lutherische Theologie und Kirche 33 (2009): 93–110. Chapters 12 and 13: “Georg Major as Preacher.” In Georg Major (1502–1574): Ein Theologe der Wittenberger Reformation, edited by Irene Dingel and Gün- ther Wartenberg, 93–121. Leipzig: Evangelische Verlagsanstalt, 2005; and “Paul Eber as Preacher.” In Paul Eber (1511–1569): Humanist und Theologe der zweiten Generation der Wittenberger Reformation, edited by Daniel Gehrt and Volker Leppin, 375–400. Leipzig: Evangelische Verlagsanstalt, 2014. Chapter 13: “Jakob Andreae’s Preaching in the Public Arena (Augsburg 1559).” LQ 29 (2015): 10–32. 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Robert Kolb, Martin Luther and the Enduring Word of God Baker Academic, a division of Baker Publishing Group, © 2016. Used by permission. (Unpublished manuscript—copyright protected Baker Publishing Group) Contents Abbreviations vii Introduction: God’s Word Endures Forever: The Wittenberg School of Exegesis 1 1. The Bible in the World of Luther’s Childhood and Youth 17 2. In the Beginning God Said: Luther’s Understanding of the Word of God 35 3. Nowhere More Present Than in Scripture: Luther’s Perception of What the Bible Is 75 4. Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth: Luther’s Hermeneutical Framework 98 5. Search the Scriptures: Luther as Professor 132 6. Faith Comes by Hearing: Luther the Preacher 174 7. Teaching All Nations: Luther as Translator 209 8. Instruction in Sound Teaching: The Wittenberg Curriculum, the Wittenberg Commentary, the Wittenberg Colleagues 239 9. Searching the Scriptures the Wittenberg Way: Sixteenth-Century Tools for Study of the Bible 274 10. Biographical Interlude: The Later Wittenberg Commentators 302 11. Formulas for Speaking Circumspectly and Avoiding Offense: Hermeneutics for Exegesis and Preaching among Luther’s Students 311 v Robert Kolb, Martin Luther and the Enduring Word of God Baker Academic, a division of Baker Publishing Group, © 2016. Used by permission. (Unpublished manuscript—copyright protected Baker Publishing Group) vi Contents 12. Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth: The Late Reformation Wittenberg Commentaries 347 13. In Season, Out of Season: The Forms and Methods of Late Reformation Preaching in the Wittenberg Circle 395 14. With a Firm Grasp of the Word: The Message of Late Reformation Proclamation 435 The Enduring Word of God: Concluding Reflection 467 Bibliography 470 Subject Index 506 Scripture Index 510 Author Index 515 Robert Kolb, Martin Luther and the Enduring Word of God Baker Academic, a division of Baker Publishing Group, © 2016. Used by permission. (Unpublished manuscript—copyright protected Baker Publishing Group) Abbreviations AP Auctoritas Patrum: Neue Beiträge zur Rezeption der Kirchenväter im 15. und 16. Jahrhundert [New contributions on the reception of the church fathers in the 15th and 16th centuries]. Edited by Leif Grane, Alfred Schindler, and Markus Wriedt. 2 vols. Mainz: Zabern, 1993–98 ARG Archiv für Reformationsgeschichte BC The Book of Concord. Edited by Robert Kolb and Timothy J. Wengert. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2000 BSELK Die Bekenntnisschriften der evangelisch-lutherischen Kirche. Edited by Irene Dingel. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2014 BSELK: QuM2 Die Bekenntnisschriften der evangelisch-lutherischen Kirche: Quellen und Materialien. Band 2, Die Konkordienformel. Edited by Irene Dingel. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2014 CP The Sermons of Martin Luther [the Church Postil]. Edited and translated by John Nicholas Lenker. 1905. Reprint, Grand Rapids: Baker, 1983 CR Philipp Melanchthon. Corpus Reformatorum: Philippi Melanthonis Opera quae supersunt omnia. Edited by C. G. Bretschneider and H. E. Bindweil. Halle and Braunschweig: Schwetschke, 1834–60 EA2 Dr. Martin Luther’s sämmtliche Werke. Erlangen Ausgabe. 2nd ed. Frank- furt am Main and Erlangen: Heyder & Zimmer, 1862–85 LEC Lutheran Ecclesiastical Culture, 1550–1675. Edited by Robert Kolb. Leiden: Brill, 2008 LuJ Lutherjahrbuch LQ Lutheran Quarterly LW Luther’s Works. Philadelphia: Fortress; St. Louis: Concordia, 1958–86, 2008– MBWR/MBWT Melanchthons Briefwechsel. Edited by Heinz Scheible. Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt: Frommann-Holzboog, 1977–. R = Register vols., T = Text vols. vii Robert Kolb, Martin Luther and the Enduring Word of God Baker Academic, a division of Baker Publishing Group, © 2016. Used by permission. (Unpublished manuscript—copyright protected Baker Publishing Group) viii Abbreviations MSA Melanchthons Werke in Auswahl [Studien-Ausgabe]. Edited by Robert Stupperich. 6 vols. Gütersloh: Bertelsmann, 1955 OHMLT The Oxford Handbook of Martin Luther’s Theology. Edited by Robert Kolb, Irene Dingel, and Lubomir Batka. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2014 PG Patrologia Graeca. Patrologiae Cursus Completus: Series Graeca. Edited by J. P. Migne. 162 vols. Paris: Petit-Montroye, 1857–66 PL Patrologia Latina. Patrologiae Cursus Completus: Series Latina. Edited by J. P. Migne. 217 vols. Paris & Turnhout: Gamer Fratres, 1844–64 Sehling, EKO Emil Sehling et al., eds. Die evangelischen Kirchenordnungen des XVI. Jahrhunderts. Leipzig; Reisland; Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 1902– SCJ Sixteenth Century Journal TRE Theologische Realenzyklopädie. Edited by Gerhard Krause and Gerhard Müller. Berlin: de Gruyter, 1977–2004 VD 16 Verzeichnis der im deutschen Sprachbereich erschienenen Drucke des 16. Jahrhunderts [Bibliography of books printed in the German-speaking countries of the sixteenth century] is a project to make a retrospective German national bibliography for the sixteenth century. WA D. Martin Luthers Werke [Weimar Ausgabe]. Weimar: Böhlau, 1883–1993. [Outlined: h t t p s ://e n .w i k i p e d i a .o r g /w i k i /W e i m a r _e d i t i o n _o f _M a r t i n _L u t h e r ’s _w o r k s ] WA BR Briefwechsel [Correspondence]. 18 vols. WA DB Die deutsche Bibel [The German Bible]. 15 vols. WA TR Tischreden [Table Talk]. 6 vols. Robert Kolb, Martin Luther and the Enduring Word of God Baker Academic, a division of Baker Publishing Group, © 2016. Used by permission. (Unpublished manuscript—copyright protected Baker Publishing Group) Introduction God’s Word Endures Forever: The Wittenberg School of Exegesis The maxim “God’s Word remains forever” not only adorned the title page of Martin Luther’s translation of the Bible, published in 1534. It also served as the motto of the Smalcald League, the alliance of Evangelical princes and municipalities formed in 1531. This assertion had by that time become the foundation of a new worldview, a new definition of what it means to be Christian,